1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for applying a coating liquid to an ink-printed surface of a print medium to improve its weatherability and glossiness, and to an image printing apparatus having the coating liquid application apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an ink jet system has been spotlighted as a printing system that can easily produce an image quality almost identical with that of a silver salt picture. An ink jet system using a dye ink in particular has an excellent color reproducibility and can produce a high image quality equal to or even higher than that of a silver salt picture system. Such a printing system using an ink, however, has a problem that an output printed medium has poor weatherability and is known to fade when subjected to light, gases, such as ozone, and water. Conventional measures proposed to cope with this problem include laminating a printed medium on which an image was formed and improving the weatherability of the ink itself that contains a coloring material.
Although the weatherability is getting better gradually, it still remains in an unsatisfactory range when looked at in a long term. To perform the laminate processing on a printed medium to improve its weatherability, a post processing device is needed which can easily be handled by the user and which can automatically laminate the print medium. In realizing such a post processing device, the following problems are encountered.
First, there is a problem of running cost. The laminate processing generally involves bonding to the print medium under pressure or by heat a transparent film, larger in size than the print medium, which is coated with an adhesive. Hence, when the size changes, excess portions must be removed, increasing the running cost.
A second problem is an installation space for the post processing device. In performing the laminate processing, the post processing device needs a space therein in which to form a laminate film in advance in conformity with the shape of a cartridge for easy replacement or in which to cut the laminated print medium, and also a space in which to accommodate an excess laminate material. This in turn increases the size of the post processing device and requires a large space for its installation.